Imperfect Catalyst
by identityangel
Summary: Fate brought the two cold-hearted people together for a purpose. They were perfect human beings to the eyes of other people, yet their union made them realise for the very first time the finer things in life. Akashi x Oc
1. Chapter 1

Imperfect Catalyst

* * *

Prequel

* * *

There was once a girl, a little doll-like girl. She had porcelain skin, pale like the soft moonlight. Her eyes were a deep shade of blue, _so _ blue that they can see through a person's very soul.

That girl was sitting alone at her desk, reading a book quietly, long lilac hair flowing behind her was isolated from the rest of her classmates, oblivious to their childish gossiping.

She knew what they were whispering about to each other's ear. She knew that every single word was directed at her. She knew they referred to her as the cold-hearted girl, the girl who never once interacted with them , the girl who always did her things alone without ever associating with the other people in her class.

She excelled at many things, they said. The girl herself knew that. Her studies,sports,aesthetics were brilliant. She could memorise anything on the textbook, as well as form speak fluently in Japanese, Korean, English and even Chinese. She was a natural at sports, always doing well in the sprinting and long-distance running, as well as every other game they played during their physical education lesson. To top it off, she was a genius artist. She was only 6 years old and yet, she was already able to do so much. To her classmates, that was an amazing feat.

The other children, of course wanted to talk to her. Many of them _idolised_ her, yet their hope was shattered to unmendable pieces when they realised how much of an unfeeling person she was. She made the invisible barrier between her and those classmates. The children could only look and talk about her, but the girl herself was untouchable to them.

I can't help it, the girl decided silently. She thought of the emotions as unnecessary objects, and that friendship was a fragile , useless thing. There was no need for it, she told herself.

* * *

There was a boy who appeared in the elementary school one morning. He was very wealthy and his family was powerful, more so than any other person in the school. He had crimson red hair and eyes. There was something about him that made her feel, _intimidated._ It wasn't because of his looks, nor his background; it was his aura, which was so distinctly different from the rest of the people in the kindergarden.

She remembered when his eyes finally scanned through all the people and landed on her.

In a split second, his eyes lit up slightly. He smirked. The girl was baffled. She did not know the boy, so why did he react like that when he saw her?

It wasn't surprising when the teacher made the boy sit next to her. Afterall, it was the only seat unoccupied. It was then, that she found out how similar they both were.

He too, excels in everything he does, much like her. Although he socialises with the other children, there was something inhumane and robotic about him. He talked only if necessary, and he also had a condenscending look on his face.

Most of the time, he stared intently at people in class. His eyes seemed to be analysing everyone, reading their every thought and movement. There were times when she literally felt a chill down her spine when the boy just so much as glance at her. She was uncomfortable sitting beside the strange boy and wished she could go home soon.

When school finally ended, she dashed out of the school for the car to drive her home. The last thing she saw was the face of the smirking little boy, as she was driven back home.

* * *

Strangely enough, she didn't see the boy the next day, nor the day after that. Curiousity got the better of her and she finally went up to the teacher and asked about the long absense of the boy. The reply she had recieved was that he had already transferred out to another school. The teacher also told her that his final message before he left was that he already knew everything he needed to know about his future wife. As for the person , no one knew who she was. For that matter, she didn't really care much either. Little did she knew, she, Fujiwara Michiyo, was the future fiancee to that boy, who was in fact the one and only, Akashi Seijuro.


	2. Chapter 2

Imperfect Catalyst

A/N: Hey! So this would be my first fanfiction and thanks to the people who followed/favourite this story! I hope you will enjoy this. Leave a review or PM me if you have any queries or thoughts on the story ^^

* * *

Chapter 1

* * *

Situated in Tokyo, Japan, the luxurious villa was one of the many properties the Fujiwara Household owned.

Luminous, quiet and spacious, the entrance hall which overlooked the gorgeous garden and the tranquil pond was currently empty except for one person. As Fujiwara Michiyo sat on the couch and sip her tea from the ceramic cup, she pondered on what had just happened.

It started off with the usual rountine;wake up early to go to school; listen to the teachers droning on and on about things she already knew; play sports in physical eduction; paint using the same dull things the teacher said was 'inspiration'; then finally, go home.

If Fujiwara Michiyo were to describe her school life, she would say it was boring and at times, _mentally draining._ In St. Maria Academy, the girls were all wealthy, young ladies from influential families. They were either the typical quiet and reserved girls or the arrogant ones whose life's sole purpose is to make things difficult for other people. She belonged to none of those two groups, having a personality somewhat in-between. She was cold and aloof , always keeping to herself, having no friends at all. Only in language classes, where she was forced to be speak out and be vocal, did she communiate with the other students. She knew that she was someone with a lot of pride as well, almost to the point of arrogance. They were facts, that she was good in everything, and that she also came with looks that rivaled the supermodel on the front page of a magazine. It has been like that since elementary school.

Even though it was ridiculous why people would even come up with the _notion_ that bullying others showed _superiority,_ she never bothered to help the victimes, who tend to belong to the group of quiet people. She herself thought that such a weak personality was the fault of the person, and to prove her point, no one else, be it an acquaintaince or a close friend, even lifted a finger to help the one who was bullied. She could conclude that it was the fault of people in general, everyone was _selfish,_ including herself.

She had been bullied multiple times as well, or to be more specific, attempts of bullying. Somehow, the pranks were never effective. If her appearance was damaged, she couldnt't care unless it caused an inconvenience to her. If they tried to verbally assault her, she would just calmly ignore them. It wasn't hard, she knew, even they knew, she was far superior in them in everything. They didn't dare inflict any physical damages against her, afterall, there would be a hefty price to pay a slightest stratch on her.

" All these daily occurences are so minor, but what Father said..."

The _catalyst_ which started a string of never-ending thoughts, the one thing that shook the foundation of Michiyo's inner emotional mentality...

* * *

"Do you know why you have been called here?"

Fujiwara Oguto, the current head and CEO of the internationally-known Fujiwara Corporation, a money-hungry bastard who makes use of everything and everyone around him, even his own daughter. He _never_ cared what she did, unless it harms him in any only times he ever called her in was to check on her progress in school, so as to keep his pride and reputation. It really did baffle her this time, as he had already checked on her grades a few days ago and they were as perfect as ever.

"No, I do not, Father."

"Well, then listen carefully, you shall be transferred to Teiko Junior High from tomorrow onwards."

Startled, Michiyo stared at her father in complete bewilderment. An awkward silence filled the air. Regaining her composure, she asked shakily,

"Why? I do not get this at all!"

Sighing, her father got out of his red plush seat and took out a file from under the pile of books on his study table. Thrusting the file to Michiyo, she caught in effortlessly and opened it to glance at the content.

"Why is there information about a boy here? I don't recognise him, what does he have to do with my transfer of schools?"

Leaning back onto the chair, he replied

"You were not informed, then. This boy, here, is Akashi Seijuro, the heir of the Akashi Corporation. It is important to maintain close relationships with such a large and influential company such as that. What better way than a arranged marraige? Afterall, that is your duty as a female of this family. Your younger brother will inherit my company and you shall be a link to another great company, everything have already been planned out."

It was the first time she was flabbergasted. She was shocked beyond description. An arranged marraige wasn't unheard of, but wasn't that custom slowly diminishing? She knew it was bound to happen, a girl from such a family background had to marry with another man of similar status. Yet, she hadn't even seen him before, it was far too sudden to her.

"Ah yes! I am sure you will get along just fine. Not that I could tell, but the boy had told me that you were a very interesting person."

The fake smile plastered onto her father's face made her frown once again. However, his words struck her.

"What do you mean by that? How would he even know me well enough to make such a statement?"

"He came to your elementary school for one day to see what you were like. He was even specially assigned to sit right next to you. You mean to say I've never told you before?"

Spiralling into a void of oblivion, Michiyo felt like the whole world was crumbling._ Sit right next to you_, the red hair of the person in the file, the eyes which seemed to analyse her every move...all of it connects back to that one person. He was going to be her fiance? Wow, she didn't know if she should feel glad or start panicking.

Without a doubt, Akashi Seijuro was a very frightening person. It wasn't just anybody who could literally read your mind by just staring at you. Yet, he was at the same time so intriguing, like a jigsaw puzzle. What goes on in the mind of someone who could read minds? She wanted to know so badly.

"Well, if there isn't anything else, please hurry up and leave the room. I am a very busy man, absolutely no time to deal with this trivial thing. I expect you to show him what a person from the Fujiwara Household is capable of, do not disappoint me."

"Yes, Father."

It was her typical response once again. She didn't matter to her father, and vice versa. They would continue acting, as a loving father-and-daughter to the public eye, but in truth, they were but mere strangers.

* * *

As she sat down and calmly drank her tea, she thought about it. No matter how much she did not want to get engaged, she knew it was all for the sake of the family. It was her duty to be in an arranged marriage for the sake of the company, and she had to do it well.

She wondered how her mother, her poor, dead mother would feel about this matter. She had died so early in a car accident when she was a little baby, and she hadn't had much fond memories of her.

She had always wondered what kind of person her mother was, to marry a person like her father. Once, when she asked her brother, he told her Fujiwara Mayu was the epitome of a lady, exuding the many qualities; elegance, intelligence, innocence, and so on... Is that the kind of person her father liked, perharps even love? A traditional woman with effortless grace, her _mother._

Did her brother, who was now in Cambridge University studying, knew about all of these? If he did, why didn't he tell her?

She always hated it when she's kept in the dark about something. Her brother and father always, _always_ had their little secrets. It was frustrating, she admitted, how high her father regards her brother, yet how little she was worth to him. She tried to accept all of it and live with the unfairness of it all. it didn't work out well, she still struggled to catch a glimpse of her father's attention, so much so that when she finally gave up, she was so mentally drained. She turned emotionally detached, and she attributed all these qualities from her father's cruel behaviour.

* * *

It was the start of a brand new day...but more importantly, the first day of school in Teiko.

Donning on the school uniform, she was feeling rather nervous and _baffled_ by Teiko Middle School. Having done some research, she found out the school Akashi Seijuro was attending was a _public_ school. For someone with such a status as him, she could not understand why he would choose to go to a public school, and how his parents would even _allow_ him to go in the first place. Even the uniform she was currently wearing was plain and like any other, nothing like the intricate school uniforms of the private schools she had always attended.

"Fujiwara-sama, your car is ready."

Snapping out of her thoughts, Fuijiwara Michiyo got ready to go to school.

* * *

The school was like its uniform, perfectly _boring_ and the same as any other. It was an old brick building, with nothing very outstanding about it. She wondered once again why Akashi Seijuro was at a school like this. Well, it didn't quite matter to her. She would continue doing as she was told, which is make to act like a proper girlfriend for Akashi Seijuro and continue her school life as normally as she could. Though, she doubt the school would provide her with a _normal_ life, seeing that she was the _fiancee_ of Akashi Seijuro.

* * *

"Who _is_ that girl? She's hot. I'll totally jump her."

"She's way out of your league,man. Don't you know about her? She's the daughter of Fujiwara Oguto, you know, that group which owes a whole chain of five-star hotels. I think the principal mentioned she would be transferring here to join us starting from this week."

"Wait, then what is she doing in Teiko! Dude, don't joke around with me. Why would a girl from that kind of background be here at Teiko?"

"How would I know?"

Her predictions were right. The minute she stepped into school grounds, she heard students of both genders talking about her. Even teachers were confused and spoke in little whispers. Occasionally, they would stare or point at her.

Most people might feel overwhelmed when that happens, but she _didn't._ Again, she knew exactly why they were doing that. She was afterall, a girl belonging to a rich and influential family. Having someone like that near you would definitely raise a lot of discussions, and she had experienced it too many times to even bother.

Passing by all the unknown faces of people in the school, she finally reached her classroom, 1A. Sliding open the door, she met the faces of her classmates for the very first time. The loud chatterings and laughing of the people came to a sudden halt when they saw her. It was silent. They continued staring at her until she pulled out a wooden chair, producing a slight 'creaking' sound that disrupted the silence, and sat down.

Then, it began. Hushed whispers and staring and pointing...yet no one dared to approach her. Michiyo ignored them as she scanned the room, looking for Akashi Seijuro, yet to no avail. He wasn't here yet, she supposed. Thus, she took out a book, and started reading.

* * *

Akashi Seijuro knew it was the day when his fiancee would be transferring to his school. She had left quite a strong impression on him. He decided to come to school latter than usual, to see how she would react in a classroom full of strangers when he wasn't around. No doubt, she would probably ignore them, judging by her unsociable personality back when they met at elementary school briefly for the first time. He wondered how she felt about the arranged marriage, how she would fare at a public school when she had been raised from such a background. She would probably have a lot of questions regarding his choice of school as well. He couldn't wait to meet this intriguing girl once again.

"I guess we would have a _lot_ of communication and catching up to do."

* * *

Having felt an urgent need to use the toilet, Michiyo placed a bookmark on the page she stopped at and placed the book gently on the table. The students also stopped their discussions and once again stared at her. Arranging her uniform properly to make it look neat, she prepared to go to the washroom. As she hurriedly stepped out of the door, she crashed into some guy in her rush.

"I am very sorry-,"

she trailed off as she glanced up at the person she had knocked into, the familiar crimson hair and all-knowing eyes.

"It is alright, there is no need for an apology. Hello again, Fujiwara Michiyo. How have you been doing these days?"


	3. Chapter 3

Imperfect Catalyst

A/N: Once again, I would like to thank the people who are reading this story, even the silent guest readers out there. As always, leave a review or PM me to share your opinions on the story! :3

* * *

Chapter 2

* * *

Akashi Seijuro was quite _amused._ Unlike how other people might react when seeing their fiances, she wasn't _stunned_ or _shocked._ He knew that she knew who he was; the flash of recognition shown on her face when she first bumped into him proved that. Her face was _completely_ void of expression. If he had to choose an emotion to describe how he thought she felt, it would be _confusement._ She actually looked baffled, and a little dazed, as if she was suffering from a lack of sleep and couldn't concentrate properly, looking like she didn't know how to react.

His gaze lingered on her deep blue orbs, before she finally blinked and broke the eye contact. Looking like she had finally snapped out of a trance, she calmly turned around and walked away from him, without even uttering a single word.

His smile widened. His fiancee was proving more of a mystery than he originally thought.

* * *

Fujiwara Michiyo didn't know _how_ to react to his sudden appearance. She didn't feel particularly mortified. Rather, she couldn't think of anything to _say_ or _do_ now that she met him.

She did what she normally did when faced with situations she couldn't handle; she walked away. It might be rude, but it still felt better than standing there, unable to even _give_ a response to him. Conveniently, she had an urgent need to go to the toilet, thus giving her a reasonable excuse if ever he questioned her unpolite behaviour.

* * *

"Ask him!"

"No way! You go ask him, since you're so curious to find out."

"I can't _possibly_ ask him that! Can you just go and ask him already?"

The incessant loud chattering was irking him. Frowning in displeasure, Akashi Seijuro continued to try to read the Shogi-related book ,yet the noise was disrupting his concentration. Seeing the people nudging and shoving each other and causing a big ruckus irritated him. As for the clearly incompetent chairman and vice-chariman, he knew that they were trying their best to stop the chaos, but of course, to no avail.

He understood why the class was getting so chatty; it was because of his brief interaction with the girl. Knowing his classmates, he wasn't surprised at all that they would be so interested in his affairs. Afterall, they were but plain, talentless people. He was perfect.

Deciding to finally put a stop to this chaotic scene, he stood up and faced the class, gazing at them with his crimson eyes. In an instant, the intimidating glint shown in his eyes silenced all of them.

"Keep quiet."

He then sat back down and returned to reading the book. It was funny, really. The class _actually_ obeyed that one little command of his. All the chatterings and loud discussions had ceased and all that was left was a peaceful silence. Only that it wasn't at all peaceful. There was a deep tension in the air as the one question kept lingering in everybody's mind; How is the girl related to Akashi Seijuro?

* * *

Surprisingly, he heard a soft whisper from behind him after just five minutes. He turned his head slightly and saw a frightened little boy, whose head was bent low in fear. When he finally opened his mouth to speak, his hands had started to tremble. He stuttered,

"Erm...uhhh...Akashi-san, may I ask, uhhh...who is that girl...you know, the one at the door you were speaking to?"

He had to applaud the kid for his guts to approach him. Thus, he decided to award him with the truth.

"She's my fiancee."

Gasps of shock, mouths hanging wide open in utter disbelief, the widening of eyes, all these reactions and more were displayed by his classmates. Needless to say, all of them were shocked beyond description. Then, the loud discussions started once again.

Preparing to stop them with another command, he changed his mind at the last second.

"What would she think of all of these?"

That was the one question which stopped him. How would his fiancee react to all of _these? _Even the most calm person would surely be overwhelmed by this.

* * *

After finishing using the toilet, she went back to class, only to be blocked at the entrance by practically the whole class.

"You're the fiancee of Akashi Seijuro? Oh my _gosh,_ how is it like?"

"How did it happen? Did you guys have your first kiss yet?"

"Tell me everything that he did for you! Did he like buy you _loads_ of presents and stuff?"

The multitude of questions bombarded at her stunned her and forced her to unconsciously take a few cautious steps back. Her classmates had turned from shy, timid mice to _wild hyenas. _They were hungry for flesh, saliva dripping everywhere as they waited for the animal to die. In this case, they had placed down all their insecurities in approaching her, being overwhelmed by curiosity.

She wondered, what is it about _Akashi Seijuro_ that made all these people motivated with the fact that she was, in some ways, related to him, and even approach her to ask? The actions of her classmates triggered that thought, and it sparked her own curiosity to learn more about this influential redhead.

* * *

He stared at her in anticpation, awaiting her response to all the questions being thrown at her. He noticed the minor steps she took backwards; she was a little nervous and definitely overwhelmed. Yet, what was it that he was seeing? She still had on her usual aloof expression on her face, with absolutely no sign of the nervousness she felt shown in her facial expressions. Exuding the aura of a noble, she stepped forward and started to speak,

"Yes, he is my fiance. But please, do not get this wrong. This is nothing but an _arranged_ marriage; I have only met him once before this and that was when we were young. I have gone on no dates and Akashi-san never did propose to me himself. I am so sorry if I had destroyed the hopes of many of you but what I am saying is simply the _truth._ "

The usual bluntness and cold politeness; it amused him very much once again. How _intriguing!_ A girl of such high-class upbringing with such a personality, so _unlike_ the other young ladies who came from influential backgrounds. In fact, she reminded him so much of himself, in terms of their behaviour.

The students of class 1A looked quite taken aback by her answer as well. They too must have felt rather uncomfortable with the way she took the questions so calmly, as if it was just a walk in the park. In fact, it was exactly how he would have done it, tell them the facts with absolutely no additional drama inputed.

Deciding that it was time when he took action, he placed his book down and strided over to her. For the sake of getting her more used to his presence, she had to change where she sat. After all, she was his fiancee; they should interact more with each other. Seeing him approach, all the students shifted out of the way quickly so as to create a clear pathway for him to walk through.

Finally seeing her clearly, he found himself taking note of her physical appearence. She was indeed beautiful, her features very delicate yet striking. Still looking as aloof as ever, she stood there with her arms folded. Yet, he could see from her eyes that she was feeling uneasy about his approach, wondering what he would say or do to her. Perharps this might be the reason why she felt afraid of him, he knew his uncanny ability to read the thoughts of people by studying their expression and behaviour was quite intimidating. He smirked; he wanted to see how she would react to this.

Reaching out his hand, he grabbed hold of hers and gently pulled her to the seat next to his. The look of confusement was evident on her face, her eyes practically showing just a glimpse of bewilderment. That was pretty unexpected. Then, he took her bag and book and laid it down onto the table next to his.

"Your seating arrangement shall be changed. From now on, sit next to me."

Somehow, she probably understood the intentions of his actions. Or maybe she didn't and was just going on with it. No matter, he would explain it to her later. With a nod of her head, she sat down and started reading the book on her table. Picking up his own book, he continued reading his book.

* * *

To Ishimaru Kazuma, the event that had happened this morning shocked him. Of course, he knew arranged marriages weren't unheard of, especially for someone like Akashi Seijuro who came from a wealthy background. When the other students in class pushed one another to ask Akashi-san about his relationship with the girl, who he now knew was named Fujiwara Michiyo due to the introduction at the start of the lesson, he was the only one who went to ask in the end. Of course, he was trembling in terror at the sheer presence of Akashi Seijuro, yet he perservered with his courage and everything seemed fine.

This was until he realised that not only was she from a background similar to Akashi-san, she also had the same _perfection._ Now, Akashi Seijuro was the only person he knew that was that _amazing._ The class chairman and vice-chairman were nerds, yet they never beat Akashi Seijuro in any test. He was the one topping the class, and also the entire school! Now that itself wasn't what was so amazing; it was the fact that he also excelled greatly in sports.

No doubt he had to be a pure _genius._ Although he seemed to be a professonal in Shogi, beating even the president of the Shogi Club, he chose to try out for the basketball club. Of course, he was one of the four freshmen who made it into the first string. Teiko Middle School, known for its excellence in basketball, it was the first time that had freshmen in the first string. Then, he was made vice-captain. I knew then, that Akashi Seijuro wasn't human;he was a _monster._

Then came Fujiwara Michiyo. After the extraordinary feats done by Akashi Seijuro, he would nver have thought that there would be another _genius. _She had gotten full marks on the Mathematics test Tsuraga-sensei had set, which was never done before...except for Akashi Seijuro of course. Then she also turned out to be a Science genius, a Languages genius and so on... They were practically replicas of each other, even having a similar personality. Sometimes, Kazuma wondered what went on in the brains of such geniuses. They looked so perfect together, as if they were some fairytale couple in a children storybook, in which a character there had absolutely _no_ flaws.

Ahhh, it hit him! There was still physical education, and there was no way a delicate girl like Fujiwara Michiyo would ever be able to do survive there. He wouldn't be surprised if she dropped out after the first 400 metres round. Maybe there was a difference between those two geniuses after all...

* * *

Of course, that didn't happen. While everyone was perspiring heavily and resting on the grass field, they were still going. It was the tenth round, the final round of the perserverence test their sensei had set for them, yet both of them seemingly looked fine. Really, it was beyond _frustrating_ as he and the rest of his classmates watched them passing the line after the tenth round, looking as though they could have done another ten and not break a sweat. They watched as the couple got released for lunch time early after they were paised by the sensei for their incredible stamina. He should have known. Now, sensei was going to start berating them once again. He could already see it; their sensei rubbing the fact into their faces that even a _girl_ could run more rounds than them. His dignity, the physical pain he was about to go through, ahhh, how he wished perfectionists such as _those two_ didn't exist!

* * *

Fujiwara Michiyo munched on a sandwich which she bought at the school canteen. It tasted...different. There weren't any meat besides the thin slice of ham in between the tomato and cheese, which was pretty unusual to her, who was used to eating sandwiches that contained expensive beef or pork. As she stared at the sandwich with a bit of astonishment, she heard the deep husky voice of Akashi Seijuro,

"Hmm, you probably never tasted one of these before, have you?"

Glancing at the redhead beside her, she noticed that he was _smiling_ at her. Actually, she corrected herself, it was a smirk. Then again, it wasn't really a smirk either. She concluded that it was just a special facial expression that only he possesed, a cross between a smile and a smirk.

"I haven't. The taste is quite...unique."

With that, the awkwardness between them began again. She herself didn't mind the silence but...she still wanted to ask him that question stuck in her head. Would now be the right time to ask? She wondered as she took another glance at him as he munched on his sandwich.

Finally mustering enough courage, she swallowed hard and then opened her mouth and asked him,

"Hey, erm why did you decide to join Teiko?"

He looked completely unfazed by her question. As he ate the lastbite of his sandwich,crumple the plastic bag into a ball and threw it to the rubbish bin about twenty metres away from where they were sitting, he faced her again and answered her question with a simple line,

"I wanted to join the basketball team here."

A flash of the articles she stumbled across while researching on Teiko Middle School hit her mind. They won consecutive national titles in basketball and had the largest number of members in the basketball club, ranging from third-stringers who rarely get to play to the regular members, the frst-stringers. Ah, it all made sense to her now. Of course Akashi Seijuro would come to Teiko, he needed a place where his talents could grow. She didn't even need to question him if he was good in basketball, of course he would be.

"That reminds me; you are required to attend all of my basketball training days from today onwards."

His voice once again snapped her out of her train of thoughts. Nodding her head once again, she agreed without a second thought. She didn't need to be told twice. To "strengthen" their bond, she was already told by her father to follow Akashi Seijuro everywhere. She had to admit, she was perfectly fine with the arrangement. She was completely new in the school, and although she didn't know Akashi well, he was better than all the other strangers in school. Sure, being solitary would be fine as well but she didn't want to come across as _too much_ of an introvert. Maybe it was her pride, well, she just didn't know. Just that she was quite relieved she had someone she could just follow everywhere without feeling out of place.

Word spread fast though. As students poured into the canteen, they stared at her except it was different from when she first arrived at the school. Now, they actually knew who she was, her name and her relationship with the redhead sitting beside her. It was the first time she felt self-conscious of herself in the school, how she _wished_ she was back in her old school with the rest of the rich young ladies.

Akashi Seijuro seemed to sense her increasing discomfort and he started to whisper to her in hushed tones,

"Don't be afraid. Anyways, they would all learn about our relationship sooner or later. This is just a first step to all of this."

Something in his intimidating tone carried a soft, caring touch, as if he was sincere in trying to help calm her down. Regardless of his intentions, it did help. She immediately felt less uncomfortable wth all the stares and continued munching on the strange sandwich.

She really wondered how she would survive in this public school with all of these problems.

* * *

Her first impresion of Akashi Seijuro training was _intense. _The ranking system was of no joke and there was three gyms just to accomodate the number of members in the club. She was even more surprised by the fact that he was actually the _vice-captain_ of the basketball club. How could she have missed that out while researching on Teiko? Ah, probably because he didn't expect her to be that good of a sportsman as well. She always envisioned him as the studious type who only studied but it turns out her predictions were all wrong when it came to Akashi Seijuro.

He was amazing in basketball. Though she was only an amatuer when it comes to basketball, that was a fact. The way he dribbles and shoot was flawless. So were the rest of the first-stringers, but what caught her eye were five other exceptional players. A yellow-haired boy whose looks were of a supermodel was _copying _the playing style and moves of the other players. Then, there was the green-haired boy with glasses who was actually shooting _three-pointers_ from the half-line. Another one was the dark-skinned, dark blue haired boy who had with the _agility_ of a wild cat. There was also the tall, purple-haired man with incredible _strength._ Lastly, she took note of that one light blue haired boy, whose presence was exceptionally _weak,_ yet his passes were _so...unique._

Those were the ones she knew were true _geniuses._

"Hi! You must be Akashi-san's fiancee, Fujiwara Michiyo. Nice to meet you! I'm Momoi Satsuki, the manager of the basketball club.

Staring down at her with a smile was a pretty girl with long pink hair and eyes. Holding a clipboard in her hand, she sat down next to her.

"Hey."

"You don't talk much, do you? Its alright, I'm very friendly."

The girl - Momoi, smiled cheerfully at her. Returning a hesitant smile, they sat watching the boys train in silence.

"So, what do you think of Akashi-san?"

Momoi asked, breaking the awkward silence.

"He's very intimidating. If I were to describe him with one word, it would be perfect."

"But what do you like about him? There must be a reason why you guys are dating."

She probed on.

Michiyo raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Haven't you heard that this was an _arranged_ marriage?"

The smile faded from Momoi's face. In an instant, it was replaced by sheer disbelief.

"What-"

Before she could finih her sentence, the yellow haired one she saw just now struck his hand out in front of her and cut into the conversation.

"Hi! I'm Kise Ryota! You must be Akashicchi's fiancee, Michiyocchi! Nice to meet you!"

He was very _hyper._ Not the type she would ever mix with. Yet, she was curious to know what was the meaning of the -cchi behind her name.

Tentatively, she reached out her hand to shake Kise's hand before asking him,

"Eh, what's with the -cchi at the back of my name?"

"That's because your someone I respect! Afterall, your Akashicci's fiancee!"

This person respected her for being Akashi Seijuro's fiancee? Wow. She had absolutely no words to say.

"You're his fiancee? I'm Aomine Daiki. That's a nice set of boobs there, how large?"

Ah, the occasional _pervert._ She should have known he belonged to that group of people. It was the dark-skinned man this time and he was staring straight at her chest, as if he was analysing it to find out its size.

"Daiki, stop looking at her chest."

Akashi Seijuro's command resonated loud and clear before she could even say anything.

That caused the boy to jump back in surprise and he slowly backed away from her.

"Fine, fine. I wouldn't touch your girl."

Fujiwara Michiyo was quite surprised. Akashi Seijuro had enough power to even intimidate and control this ruddy person?

"Your behaviour is indeed very rude. You should apologise to her. Pervertic people such as you shouldn't be going around looking at girls' chest!"

She turned around and saw another one of those geniuses. The green-haired boy with spectacles and - wait is that a fluffy teddy bear?

"What is that for?"

She couldn't help but ask as she pointed towards the teddy bear he held in his hand.

"This is my lucky item for today. I am a Cancer, and my name is Midorima Shintaro. What's your horoscope?"

"Aquarius. What's the relevance of this question though?"

"Ah, the same as Kuro-chin then."

The purple-haired man loomed over her with his height as he munched on some chips.

He was so tall! She blinked and asked,

"Who are you then?"

"Me? I'm Murasakibara Atsushi. And you are Mi-chin."

He stated it like a fact more than a question in such a _childlike_ manner. As she focused her attention back to the bespectacled boy, she heard him continue ramble on and on about horoscopes and compathibility. How strange!

As she was pondering on the behaviour of this bunch of basketball geniuses, she felt a slight tap on her shoulder. A light blue haired boy seemed to suddenly pop out of the blue, startling her.

"Hello. My name is Kuroko Tetsuya. Please to meet you."

"Please to meet you as well."

The boy's presence was so small and unnoticeable that she didn't realise he was there. How _extraordinary._ Then, it struck her. He was that boy who was making all those amazing passes in the match just now! It was quite hard to believe that they were the same person.

"Guys! Go away! I have to talk to Michiyo-chan!"

It was the pink-haired manager again. This time, she looked quite pissed though. Ah, she probably wanted to continue talking to her about her arranged marriage to Akashi Seijuro.

"No, I want to talk to her as well!"

It was the hyperactive, handsome boy, Kise Ryota.

"No, me first!"

"Why? I want to."

"Me!"

"Me!"

The bickering went on forever until finally, a loud voice once again commanded,

"Stop, the both of you."

They immediately stopped as Akashi Seijuro glared at them.

"The gym is an inappropriate place to chit-chat. You can talk to her tomorrow."

"Why? But it has to be _now!"_

Both Kise and Momoi protested together.

However, the glare which Akashi gave them caused them to immediately shut their mouths.

"Let's go to the convenience store to get popsicles together then. You guys can take turns talking to her over there."

The phantom-like boy, Kuroko Tetsuya, suggested.

"Great idea! Let's go!"

Exclaimed both Kise and Momoi.

"You don't have to come if you don't want to."

Kuroko said to the rest.

"Yea, I'm going home with Satsuki after that."

said the pervertic Aomine.

"I have to buy my new lucky item for tomorrow, I'm coming."

Midorima Shintaro said as he tucked the fluffy bear under his arm.

"Mm, me too. My snacks are running out."

Murasakibara said as he pointed at his bag of almost-finished chips.

As everyone stared expectantly at Akashi, he said calmly

"I have to make sure Michiyo gets home safely. I can't entrust her to you idiots."

"Oh, getting protective I see."

Aomine teased.

Another glare from Akashi shut him up.

* * *

That was her first outing with the bizzare members of the Generation of Miracles.


End file.
